China vows to open up further, with Hainan Free Trade Port serving as new global gateway

China will continue to press ahead with high-level opening-up and use the Hainan Free Trade Port as a new gateway for global trade and investment liberalization, a spokesman for the country's top political advisory body said on Tuesday.

The remarks were made by Liu Jieyi, spokesman for the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, at a news conference ahead of its annual meeting in Beijing.

Responding to a question on the global impact of the Hainan FTP's island-wide special customs operations launched late last year, Liu called the move as a landmark step underscoring China's commitment to high-standard opening-up and an open world economy.

He said the special customs operations had significantly enhanced trade liberalization and facilitation, improving links with international markets.

During the recent Spring Festival holiday, offshore duty-free sales in Hainan rose 30.8 percent from a year earlier, while the number of visa-free foreign arrivals increased 75.6 percent, Liu said.

The figures, he added, demonstrate tangible progress in facilitating the flow of goods and people.

According to Liu, the new customs arrangements represent a steady expansion of China's institutional opening-up, covering rules, regulations, management and standards. The initiative reflects China's determination to carry reform and opening-up through to the end, he said.

"China has always adhered to opening up as a fundamental national policy. The door will not close; it will only open wider," Liu said.

He added that the CPPCC has long focused on and supported the country's opening-up agenda.

Over the past year, it has actively offered policy advice and built consensus around expanding high-level opening-up.

Research and consultations have centered on building a higher-standard open economic system, improving management and services for outbound investment, and advancing projects such as the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in western China.

These efforts have resulted in research reports aimed at providing policy references for improving the quality and efficiency of foreign trade and facilitating the domestic-international "dual circulation" strategy, Liu said.

The advisory body has also invited foreign think tanks and institutional delegations to visit China to deepen their understanding of Chinese modernization and highlight opportunities for cooperation. CPPCC members, he added, have used international exchanges to share examples of mutually beneficial cooperation between China and other countries, helping to expand what he described as a global "circle of friends" based on openness and win-win cooperation.

China will remain committed to expanding high-level opening-up, promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and injecting greater certainty and positive energy into global development, Liu said, adding that the country stands ready to share development opportunities and work with other nations for a better future.